Happy (almost) Valentine’s Day!!

At I2L, we celebrate love all year long because we know that cultivating our capacity to love forges a new Dimension of Possible for our profession.

Put very simply, great leadership not only requires love, it is love.

At Intend2Lead, we define love as 100% acceptance of who we are and a deep appreciation for who we are becoming. To be a great leader who inspires others and creates a powerful sense of belonging, you must look within and support yourself first. That can feel hard, or almost impossible, when you’re navigating a particularly stressful time of year. This is where the Dimension of Possible comes in.

The Dimension of Possible is an elevated place where you get to be bold and play bigger. A place where you create your own possibilities by being intentional with your thoughts, words, and feelings. It is a place where fear no longer drives us, and love reigns.

Last month, we explored how you could reset your Dimension of Possible to create a better busy season through intention and a commitment to practice three simple pillars. If you missed it or need a quick refresh, check out our post here.

Now, we’re here to help you show more love to yourself and those you lead right now by exploring the following questions:

  1. How do I cultivate more positivity during the most stressful time of year?
  2. How do I stop thinking about how bad busy season is going to be?
  3. I want this busy season to be different. What can I do to make it better this year?

Read on for the answer to these three questions, and remember: You create a new Dimension of Possible each time you choose to bring love to yourself, others, and the work you do.

🤔 Q: How do I cultivate more positivity during the most stressful time of year?

💡 A: There are only two types of energy in the world. We’re either moving towards or away from something.

Instead of asking yourself what you want to avoid this busy season, we invite you to ask yourself instead: What do I want and where do I want to go this busy season?

Allow that question to drive the energy of your busy season towards what you want.

We often head into busy seasons remembering how bad it was in the past and feeling overwhelmed before we even start. This leads us to think that just making it to the other side (i.e., surviving!) is the primary goal.

Why not try something different this busy season? Set some positive goals for yourself that will help you move towards what you really want. What do you want to learn this busy season? How do you want to grow? What positive outcomes do you want to create for yourself and your team?

When you reset what you believe is possible, especially during challenging times, you allow yourself to create what you want, instead of just accepting what has happened before.

🤔 Q: How do I stop thinking about how bad busy season is going to be?

💡 A: Sometimes being positive during busy season feels fake, because you know how hard it is. But the truth is, everything starts with your thoughts. Creating different thought patterns and shifting to a mindset of possibility is key to changing your experience.

Ask yourself: What impact do negative thoughts and feelings have on me and my team?

Then ask yourself: What impact could a few positive mindset shifts have on me and my team?

In coaching, we often use a tool called the Thinking Path:

  • Your thoughts generate feelings.
  • Your feelings lead you to take certain actions (or not).
  • Your actions (or lack thereof) lead to your results.

If you want to have different results this year, try thinking different thoughts. You could try a consistent practice where you imagine the sort of experience you want to have this year, instead of replaying any negative experiences from the past.

By simply allowing yourself to believe it’s possible that things could be different and better this year, you gain access to the Dimension of Possible, where you are free to create the experience you want to have.

🤔 Q: I want this busy season to be different. What can I do to make it better this year?

💡 A: Reset your Dimension of Possible. What do we mean by that? Instead of predicting how bad it’s going to be and reminding yourself how stressful it’s been in the past, ask yourself this question: What do I want instead?

  • Answer that question with as much openness as possible. Give yourself permission to imagine a different reality than last year.
  • Write down what you want it to be like, not what you don’t want.

And then give yourself the tools to carry this out.

  • Re-engage with foundational self-care practices that help ground you.
  • Create an in-the-moment practice for bringing your attention back to what you want instead.
  • Consistently remind yourself of the mindset you want to embrace (you could write it down and reconnect with it every day) so you can retrain your brain to think differently.

If you want more how-to details, check out our article on resetting your Dimension of Possible.

Thank you for all you do to create a new Dimension of Possible for our profession! 

See you in the DoP,